LS 3 Groups of organisms show evidence of change over time (structures, behaviors, and biochemistry).
LS3 (9-11) -8 Students demonstrate an understanding of Natural Selection/ evolution by…
8a illustrating that when an environment changes, the survival advantage /disadvantage of some characteristics may change.
National Standards:
Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science - Content Standard C: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of
Biological Evolution
Context of Lesson:
The beginning of this lesson is a continuation from last lesson, where we explore the origin of life on Earth and the evolution of the first cells. Specifically, a discussion on prokaryotes and eukaryotes will lead us to answering questions on an article about endosymbiosis. After discussing how these cells have evolved, students will share their examples of evolution in which they were prompted to write in the warm-up at the start of class. A discussion about these examples and how changes/adaptations were seen as part of evolution will be followed by two videos on Darwin and his theory of natural selection. This will be the first time students are formally introduced to natural selection, so the discussion beforehand is to activate any prior knowledge the students have on this topic. It is also a good time to make notes of student misconceptions, so they can be later addressed. The first video provides a background of who Darwin is and how he came about his theory, and students will have questions to answer as a scaffold for pulling out the important information from the video. For the second video, students are provided with a list of quotes from the video that they should pay special attention to. After the video, the class breaks into small groups to analyze the quotes from the video by answering a series of questions. Lastly, as a class we will create a chart that identifies what we know/learned about Darwin and natural selection and what we still want to learn more about.
Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Webbs Level 1 (Recall & Reproduction) - Recall or recognize a fact, term, definition, simple procedure (such as one step), or property.
Webb's Level 2 (Skills & Concepts) - Specify and explain the relationship between facts, terms, properties, or variables
Webb's Level 3 (Strategic Thinking) - Use reasoning, planning, and evidence; Explain thinking (beyond a simple explanation or using only a word or two to respond); Justify a response; Explain phenomena in terms of concepts.
Webb's Level 4 (Extended Thinking) - Relate ideas within the content area or among content areas.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Concepts of different cell types (prokaryote and eukaryote)
Idea of changes/adaptations in individuals (from genetics)
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Students will be grouped as to succeed in performing the quote analysis. Peer-teachers will be provided for students who require the extra help/explanation.
Challenge students by having them analyze more than one quote from the Darwin and Malthus video. Alternatively, have them choose a quote from the video to analyze that is not already on the list I provided.
Suggest that students should do some research on the questions they had they were on the quote analysis chart. Bring back some information to share with everyone next class.
Accommodations and modifications
Students with poor vision and or hearing difficulties will be provided a handout with the video summaries to refer back to.
A photocopy of a classmate's completed quote analysis chart can be made as a resource for students who need the extra support.
Environmental factors
The classroom is arranged in three rows with four tables in each row. Each table has two or three students sitting at it.
Whole class opening, discussions and videos.
The TV monitor is mounted on the wall in the front right of the classroom - students will move their seat if they cannot see from the back of the classroom.
Small groups to complete the quote analysis activity.
Whole class completion of the quote analysis chart and closing.
Materials
Set-up from primordial soup demonstration from last class
After this lesson students will be able to:
1. Describe the evolution of prokaryotes to eukaryotes (artifact = answers to article questions)
2. Explain who Charles Darwin is and how he came about his theory of natural selection (artifact = answers to video questions and quote analysis activity)
3. Make connections between Darwin's findings and natural selection (artifact = quote analysis chart)
Instruction:
Opening:
1. The warm-up is on the board for students to complete as they enter the class – “What is evolution? Write at least one example of this process."
2. “We will get back to the warm-up question, but first we are going to continue with our primordial soup”
3. Continue with primordial soup demonstration. Tie some beads together on a string to show the formation of the chemicals to form the first cells. “These complexes were called protocells. What do we think protocells mean?” (proto = first) “What types of cells do we think first evolved from these protocells? Eukaryotes or prokayotes?” (activate prior knowledge of cell types)
4. “What are some differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes?” (pro = simple, no nucleus, no compartments, etc). “How then, did eukaryotes come to be if we started with these prokaryotic cells?” (See if the students have ideas or prior knowledge on the concept).
5. Go over the agenda for the class.
Engagement:
Part 1: From prokaryotes to eukaryotes reading and discussion
1. “Let’s start by figuring out this phenomenon of how eukaryotes came to be.” Pass out the article From Prokaryotes to Eukaryotes for students to read and answer the following questions:
In your own words describe endosymbiosis.
What would happen if the host cell and the cell it engulfed did not benefit from each other?
Can we explain endosymbiosis as evolution? How so?
2. As a class discuss the answers to the questions.
3. For the last question, focus on the evolution as a process of change through adaptations. (The prokaryotes gradually changed to working cooperatively and resulted in a different type of cell. The adaptations (symbiosis) helped the cells evolve and if the cells did not work well together they would not evolve.)
Part 2: Introduction to Charles Darwin and natural selection (video and discussion)
1. "Let's revisit the warm-up from today." Have students share their examples of evolution. "Does your example still make sense now that we've discussed an example of evolution? Can you identify the change/adaptation that allowed your example to evolve?"
2. "In the examples we just discussed this adaptation helped the organism evolve, therefore the adaptation was selected for. What do I mean by 'selected for?'" (Student answers may include 'the animal was able to survive better') "Does anyone know what this process is called? (natural selection) How about the man who proposed this theory? (Darwin)"
3. "I have a few videos to introduce you to Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection."
4. Have students watch Evolving Ideas: Who Was Charles Darwin? Provide them with the accompanying questions.
5. Discuss the questions from the video as a class.
6. Have students watch the second video Darwin and Malthus and provide them with a list of quotes from the video to pay close attention to.
7. Break the class into small groups and distribute the quotes from the video among the groups. Within the groups have students analyze their assigned quote(s). Answer the following questions:
What is this quote saying?
Is there an underlying meaning?
How does this quote connect to Darwin and his ideas/theory?
What about this quote is confusing or you are unsure of? What do we need to explore further to make sense of it?
8. Display a chart on an overhead with a row for each quote and two columns:
What do we know about Darwin/Natural Selection from this quote
What do we want to learn more about
Distribute a handout of this chart to students.
9. As each group shares their quote analysis, fill in the chart together.
Closure:
1. With ten minutes left in the class review the chart as a whole with the class.
2. Ask if there are any more questions about Darwin/Natural Selection that did not make it on the chart.
3. "We will be diving deeper into Darwin's theory of natural selection next class in the computer lab doing an interactive lab."
4. Collect student answers to the questions that went along with the first video and answers to the quote analysis activity. Students should keep their quote analysis charts in their notebooks because we will be going back to them.
Assessment:
1. Formative assessment of opening discussion related to prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
2. Formative assessment of student answers to article questions.
3. Formative assessment of student answers to the warm-up.
4. Completed questions to the first video.
5. Complete questions from the small group quote analysis activity.
6. Completed quote analysis chart.
Lesson Title:
Charles Darwin & Natural Selection (90 minutes)State Standards: GLEs/GSEs
LS 3 Groups of organisms show evidence of change over time (structures, behaviors, and biochemistry).LS3 (9-11) -8 Students demonstrate an understanding of Natural Selection/ evolution by…
National Standards:
Science as Inquiry - Content Standard A: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop- Understandings about scientific inquiry
Life Science - Content Standard C: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding ofContext of Lesson:
The beginning of this lesson is a continuation from last lesson, where we explore the origin of life on Earth and the evolution of the first cells. Specifically, a discussion on prokaryotes and eukaryotes will lead us to answering questions on an article about endosymbiosis. After discussing how these cells have evolved, students will share their examples of evolution in which they were prompted to write in the warm-up at the start of class. A discussion about these examples and how changes/adaptations were seen as part of evolution will be followed by two videos on Darwin and his theory of natural selection. This will be the first time students are formally introduced to natural selection, so the discussion beforehand is to activate any prior knowledge the students have on this topic. It is also a good time to make notes of student misconceptions, so they can be later addressed. The first video provides a background of who Darwin is and how he came about his theory, and students will have questions to answer as a scaffold for pulling out the important information from the video. For the second video, students are provided with a list of quotes from the video that they should pay special attention to. After the video, the class breaks into small groups to analyze the quotes from the video by answering a series of questions. Lastly, as a class we will create a chart that identifies what we know/learned about Darwin and natural selection and what we still want to learn more about.Opportunities to Learn:
Depth of Knowledge
Prerequisite Knowledge
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Accommodations and modifications
Environmental factors
Materials
Objectives:
After this lesson students will be able to:1. Describe the evolution of prokaryotes to eukaryotes (artifact = answers to article questions)
2. Explain who Charles Darwin is and how he came about his theory of natural selection (artifact = answers to video questions and quote analysis activity)
3. Make connections between Darwin's findings and natural selection (artifact = quote analysis chart)
Instruction:
Opening:
1. The warm-up is on the board for students to complete as they enter the class – “What is evolution? Write at least one example of this process."2. “We will get back to the warm-up question, but first we are going to continue with our primordial soup”
3. Continue with primordial soup demonstration. Tie some beads together on a string to show the formation of the chemicals to form the first cells. “These complexes were called protocells. What do we think protocells mean?” (proto = first) “What types of cells do we think first evolved from these protocells? Eukaryotes or prokayotes?” (activate prior knowledge of cell types)
4. “What are some differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes?” (pro = simple, no nucleus, no compartments, etc). “How then, did eukaryotes come to be if we started with these prokaryotic cells?” (See if the students have ideas or prior knowledge on the concept).
5. Go over the agenda for the class.
Engagement:
Part 1: From prokaryotes to eukaryotes reading and discussion1. “Let’s start by figuring out this phenomenon of how eukaryotes came to be.” Pass out the article From Prokaryotes to Eukaryotes for students to read and answer the following questions:
- In your own words describe endosymbiosis.
- What would happen if the host cell and the cell it engulfed did not benefit from each other?
- Can we explain endosymbiosis as evolution? How so?
2. As a class discuss the answers to the questions.3. For the last question, focus on the evolution as a process of change through adaptations. (The prokaryotes gradually changed to working cooperatively and resulted in a different type of cell. The adaptations (symbiosis) helped the cells evolve and if the cells did not work well together they would not evolve.)
Part 2: Introduction to Charles Darwin and natural selection (video and discussion)
1. "Let's revisit the warm-up from today." Have students share their examples of evolution. "Does your example still make sense now that we've discussed an example of evolution? Can you identify the change/adaptation that allowed your example to evolve?"
2. "In the examples we just discussed this adaptation helped the organism evolve, therefore the adaptation was selected for. What do I mean by 'selected for?'" (Student answers may include 'the animal was able to survive better') "Does anyone know what this process is called? (natural selection) How about the man who proposed this theory? (Darwin)"
3. "I have a few videos to introduce you to Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection."
4. Have students watch Evolving Ideas: Who Was Charles Darwin? Provide them with the accompanying questions.
5. Discuss the questions from the video as a class.
6. Have students watch the second video Darwin and Malthus and provide them with a list of quotes from the video to pay close attention to.
7. Break the class into small groups and distribute the quotes from the video among the groups. Within the groups have students analyze their assigned quote(s). Answer the following questions:
- What is this quote saying?
- Is there an underlying meaning?
- How does this quote connect to Darwin and his ideas/theory?
- What about this quote is confusing or you are unsure of? What do we need to explore further to make sense of it?
8. Display a chart on an overhead with a row for each quote and two columns:- What do we know about Darwin/Natural Selection from this quote
- What do we want to learn more about
Distribute a handout of this chart to students.9. As each group shares their quote analysis, fill in the chart together.
Closure:
1. With ten minutes left in the class review the chart as a whole with the class.2. Ask if there are any more questions about Darwin/Natural Selection that did not make it on the chart.
3. "We will be diving deeper into Darwin's theory of natural selection next class in the computer lab doing an interactive lab."
4. Collect student answers to the questions that went along with the first video and answers to the quote analysis activity. Students should keep their quote analysis charts in their notebooks because we will be going back to them.
Assessment:
1. Formative assessment of opening discussion related to prokaryotes and eukaryotes.2. Formative assessment of student answers to article questions.
3. Formative assessment of student answers to the warm-up.
4. Completed questions to the first video.
5. Complete questions from the small group quote analysis activity.
6. Completed quote analysis chart.
Reflections
(only done after lesson is enacted)Student Work Sample 1 – Approaching Proficiency:
Student Work Sample 2 – Proficient:
Student Work Sample 3 – Exceeds Proficiency:
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